Storage container

ABSTRACT

A storage container is disclosed. A storage container according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a cover; and a container body, wherein the cover is provided with a locking wing on one side thereof so as to be rotatable, wherein the container body is provided with an edge which protrudes on a side surface thereof, wherein an edge end portion is formed at the edge, wherein the edge end portion has an upper engaging groove and a lower engaging surface, wherein one side of the upper engaging groove is open, wherein the cover is provided with a side surface protrusion which is engaged with the lower engaging surface when the cover is coupled to the container body, and with an engaging protrusion which is inserted into the upper engaging groove when the cover is separated from the container body.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a storage container, more particularlyto a storage container that is convenient to use.

BACKGROUND ART

Storage containers are currently widely in use for extending the shelflife of foodstuffs and allowing hygienic storage. A conventional storagecontainer may be composed of a cover and a container body, with fourlocking flaps provided on the edges of a quadrilateral cover. Thelocking flaps may be coupled onto protrusions, etc., formed on the rimof the container body, whereby the cover may be coupled with thecontainer body.

With the conventional storage container, there is the inconvenience ofhaving to separate or couple all four locking flaps when removing andcoupling the cover. Also, since the conventional storage containerincludes four locking flaps, the structure of the locking flap parts maybe complicated, and there may be difficulty in cleaning such parts.

In an attempt to resolve the problems mentioned above of the storagecontainer having four locking flaps, Korean Patent Publication No.2015-0030128 discloses a storage container having a single locking flap.In the storage container disclosed in the publication, the locking flapis provided with a pressing protrusion on its inner surface, and thecontainer body has a rotational latch part formed on its rim. Therotational latch part includes an upper protrusion and a lowerprotrusion. A latching groove is formed by the upper protrusion, wherethe pressing protrusion provided on the locking flap may be latched ontothe latching groove, and the cover can be readily separated from thecontainer body. A locking groove is formed by the lower protrusion, anda rotational locking protrusion provided on the locking flap may becoupled to the locking groove.

Since the storage container disclosed in the above publication has justa single locking flap, there is the advantage that the coupling andseparating of the cover to and from the container body are made moreconvenient. However, as the rotational latch part formed on the rim ofthe container body includes an upper protrusion and a lower protrusionthat protrude upwards and downwards, respectively, the structure isquite complicated, and cleaning may be difficult.

Also, according to the patent publication above, if a large amount ofcontents are placed within the storage container, there is considerableinconvenience when separating the cover from the container body. Thatis, when the cover is slid in a sideward direction relative to thecontainer body for coupling or separation, the inner surface of the rimon the inside of the cover may be caught on the contents, possiblyresulting in the cover being unable to slide in the sideward direction.Also, if the storage container is placed in a freezer so that thecontents (for example, cooked rice) are frozen, then the inner surfaceof the rim can be caught on the contents that are in a hardened state.This can cause the problem of the cover being unable to readily slide inthe sideward direction.

If a pressure difference occurs between the inside and outside of astorage container, the storage container may contract or expand, becauseair is prevented from flowing in and out. For example, if a storagecontainer holding contents is placed and heated in a microwave oven, thepressure inside the storage container becomes much higher than theoutside, but since the outflow of air is prevented by a packing, etc.,the cover may become deformed and separated or, in extreme cases, thestorage container may be damaged. Thus, with a conventional storagecontainer, there is the inconvenience of having to separate the coverfrom the container body when using a microwave oven for heating.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Technical Problem

The present invention has been conceived to resolve the problemsdescribed above and aims to provide a storage container that isconvenient to use.

Other objectives' of the present invention will be made more apparentfrom the embodiments described below.

Technical Solution

One aspect of the present invention provides a storage container thatincludes a cover and a container body, where the cover includes alocking flap on one side, the locking flap has a rotatableconfiguration, the container body includes a rim protruding from a sidesurface, the rim includes at least one pair of rim end portions facingeach other, the rim end portion includes an upper latching indentationand a lower latching surface, the upper latching indentation is open atone side, the cover includes a side protrusion configured to latch ontothe lower latching surface when coupled onto the container body, and thelocking flap is inserted into the upper latching indentation whenseparated from the container body.

A storage container based on the present invention can include one ormore of the following embodiments. For example, the rim end portions canbe arranged as a pair facing each other with a movement space of aparticular distance in-between. Also, an upper inclined surface can beformed in the upper latching indentation.

A cover for a storage container according to an aspect of the presentinvention can be a cover that couples with a container body of thestorage container and can include a first inner rim and a second innerrim arranged at an inward side of the first inner rim that are arrangedwith a particular gap in-between to form a packing groove, where thesecond inner rim can include a front rim formed at a side where alocking flap is provided and a rear rim arranged opposite the front rim,and the front rim and/or the rear rim can be formed such that a lowerend part is positioned flush with or lower than an upper end part of thecontainer body when the cover is coupled to the container body.

A cover for a storage container according to another aspect of thepresent invention can be a cover that couples with a container body ofthe storage container and can include a side protrusion, and a firstinner rim and a second inner rim arranged at an inward side of the firstinner rim that are arranged with a particular gap in-between to form apacking groove, where the side protrusion can include a side inclinedsurface having a sloped angle, and the second inner rim can include arim inclined portion having a sloped angle that is less steep than theside inclined surface.

A cover for a storage container according to still another aspect of thepresent invention can include a packing, a packing groove configured toreceive the packing inserted therein, an air channel formed intagliatedin the packing groove to enable an inflow and outflow of air, and anadjustment protrusion formed in the air channel and configured tocontact the packing, where, while the cover and the container body arecoupled to maintain a sealed state, a contact between the adjustmentprotrusion and the packing can be temporarily disengaged by a pressuredifference between the inside and outside of the storage container suchthat an inflow or outflow of air is permitted.

A cover for a storage container according to yet another aspect of thepresent invention can be a cover that couples with a container body ofthe storage container and can include a packing, a packing groove havinga bottom surface and configured to receive the packing inserted therein,an inner protrusion formed protruding from the bottom surface andforming an air channel to enable an inflow and outflow of air betweenthe bottom surface and the packing, and an adjustment protrusion formedon one side of the inner protrusion and configured to close the airchannel by contacting the packing, where, while the cover and thecontainer body are coupled to maintain a sealed state, a contact betweenthe adjustment protrusion and the packing can be temporarily disengagedby a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the storagecontainer such that an inflow or outflow of air is permitted through theair channel.

A cover for a storage container based on the present invention caninclude one or more of the following embodiments. For example, thepacking can include a hollow cavity. The adjustment protrusion can beformed in the same direction as the lengthwise direction of the hollowcavity when the packing is inserted in the packing groove. Also, thecover can include a downwardly protruding support protrusion, and thesupport protrusion can prevent the air channel from being closed offcompletely by an excessive contraction of the packing.

Advantageous Effects

The present invention can provide a storage container that has a simplestructure and is therefore easy to clean and use.

Also, the present invention can provide a cover for a storage containerthat resolves the problem of the cover being caught on the containerbody and contents when moved in a sliding motion along a sidewaysdirection.

Also, the present invention can provide a cover for a storage containerthat uses a simple structure to allow air to temporary flow in and out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a storage container accordingto a first disclosed embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are perspective views each illustrating the containerbody of the storage container illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view illustrating the container body ofthe storage container illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating the container body of the storagecontainer illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the cover of the storagecontainer illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a locking flap of the coverillustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 illustrates a storage container according to the first disclosedembodiment of the present invention before the cover is coupled to thecontainer body.

FIG. 9 illustrates a storage container according to the first disclosedembodiment of the present invention with the cover coupled to thecontainer body.

FIG. 10 illustrates a storage container according to the first disclosedembodiment of the present invention as the cover is being separated fromthe container body.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a storage containeraccording to the first disclosed embodiment of the present inventionwith the cover and the container body coupled together.

FIG. 12 is a magnified view of an air channel and an adjustmentprotrusion provided on a cover.

FIG. 13 is a magnified cross-sectional view of portion A of FIG. 11illustrating the arrangement with the packing removed.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the arrangement of FIG.13 with the packing coupled on.

FIG. 15 illustrates a portion of the cover of a storage containeraccording to a second disclosed embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view across line AA of FIG. 15 illustratingthe arrangement with the packing inserted.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view across line BB of FIG. 15 illustratingthe arrangement with the packing inserted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As the invention allows for various changes and numerous embodiments,particular embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and describedin detail in the written description. However, this is not intended tolimit the present invention to particular modes of practice, and it isto be appreciated that all changes, equivalents, and substitutes that donot depart from the spirit and technical scope of the present inventionare encompassed by the present invention. In the description of thepresent invention, certain detailed explanations of related art areomitted if it is deemed that they may unnecessarily obscure the essenceof the invention.

The terms used in the present specification are merely used to describeparticular embodiments, and are not intended to limit the presentinvention. An expression used in the singular encompasses the expressionof the plural, unless it has a clearly different meaning in the context.In the present specification, it is to be understood that the terms suchas “including” or “having,” etc., are intended to indicate the existenceof the features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, orcombinations thereof disclosed in the specification, and are notintended to preclude the possibility that one or more other features,numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof mayexist or may be added.

While such terms as “first” and “second,” etc., may be used to describevarious components, such components must not be limited to the aboveterms. The above terms are used only to distinguish one component fromanother.

Certain embodiments of the present invention will be described below inmore detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Thosecomponents that are the same or are in correspondence are rendered thesame reference numeral, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a storage container 100according to an embodiment of the present invention. Incidentally, FIG.1 illustrates an arrangement in which the locking flap 126 of the cover110 is disengaged from the container body 150.

Referring to FIG. 1, a storage container 100 according to the presentembodiment may include a cover 110 and a container body 150. The cover110 and the container body 150 can have square shapes with roundedcorners. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, when the locking flap 126is rotated down and coupled to the container body 150, the cover 110 mayseal the container body 150.

Although the storage container 100 of the present embodiment isillustrated as having a square shape, the present invention is notlimited by the shapes of the cover and container body. Of course, thecover and container body of a storage container based on anotherembodiment of the present invention can have any of a variety of shapes,including polygonal shapes such as rectangles, hexagons, etc., andelliptical or circular shapes, etc.

Below, a description is provided of the container body 150 of a storagecontainer 100 based on an embodiment of the present invention, withreference to FIG. 2 through FIG. 5.

FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are perspective views each illustrating the containerbody 150 of the storage container 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, where FIG.2 illustrates the inside of the container body 150, and FIG. 3illustrates the lower part of the container body 150. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5are a front elevational view and a plan view illustrating the containerbody 150 of the storage container 100 illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2 through FIG. 5, the container body 150 may have ahorizontal cross section resembling a square shape and may have an innerspace defined by four side surfaces 152 and a bottom surface (noreference numeral designated). The upper side of the container body 150may be open.

At an upper part of each side surface 152 of the container body 150,there may be provided an outwardly protruding rim 154. The rim 154 mayprotrude outwardly in a perpendicular manner from an upper part of theside surface 152 and, as can be seen from FIG. 5, may have a particularwidth (the protruding length from the side surface 152). The rim 154 maybe formed on all four side surfaces 152 of the container body 150, andthe rim 154 formed on adjacent side surfaces 152 can be formed in acontinuous manner.

The rim 154 may not be formed in the middles of the side surfaces 152 ofthe container body 150, to be separated from one another. Thus, in themiddle of a side surface 152, a movement space 155 may be formedcorresponding to a particular length of empty space, and the rim 154 mayhave rim end portions 156, corresponding to the end parts where the rim154 is not formed continuously.

The movement space 155 may correspond to the portion where the rim 154is not formed. When the cover 110 is placed on the upper part of thecontainer body 150 for coupling onto the container body, side protrusion116 formed on the inside of the cover 110 can be positioned as in FIG.8, due to the movement spaces 155, without being hindered by the rim154. Also, when the coupling protrusions 134 of the locking flap 126 areseparated from the container body 150 as in FIG. 8 (during theseparating of the cover), the side protrusions 116 may retreat from thelower parts of the rim 154 to be positioned in the movement spaces 155.When the side protrusions 116 are positioned in the movement spaces 155and not under the rim 154, the locking with respect to the rim 154 maybe disengaged, whereby the cover 110 can be separated from the containerbody 150.

A rim end portion 156 corresponds to an end part of the rim 154 and mayhave an upper latching indentation 158 formed at an upper part thereofand a lower latching surface 162 formed at a lower part thereof.

The upper latching indentation 158 may be an indentation formed at therim end portion 156 to a particular depth, with one side open and withan upper inclined surface 160 formed on the inside. When the lockingflap 126 is rotated for separating the cover 110 from the container body150, the protruding portions 131 of a latching protrusion 128 formed onthe locking flap 126 may be inserted into the upper latchingindentations 158. Because of this, the cover 110 can be moved in asideward direction by the rotation of the locking flap 126. Thus, theupper latching indentations 158 may correspond to open indentations ontowhich the latching protrusion 128 may be latched when the cover 110 isseparated from the container body 150.

One side of an upper latching indentation 158 may be open, and thereason for this is to allow the latching protrusion 128, which is of aparticular length, to be readily inserted. Also, as one side of theupper latching indentation 158 is open, fluids such as water can easilyflow out to the exterior, and the inside can be readily cleaned.

Of course, it is also possible to have the upper latching indentation158 without one side open. In this case, the latching protrusion 128 canhave a shape corresponding to that of the upper latching indentation158.

An upper inclined surface 160 can be formed on the inside of the upperlatching indentation 158. The upper inclined surface 160 may correspondto an inclined surface that slopes downwardly towards the open side ofthe upper latching indentation 158. By virtue of the upper inclinedsurface 160, a fluid such as water that has entered the upper latchingindentation 158 can be easily discharged.

A lower latching surface 162 may be formed at a lower part of the rimend portion 156. The lower latching surface 162 may correspond to thepart onto which a side protrusion 116 formed on the cover 110 is latchedand may be implemented as a slope by way of a flat or curved surface,etc. The sloped angle of the lower latching surface 162 can be formed tocorrespond with the sloped angle of the side protrusion 116. Also, thesloped direction of the lower latching surface 162 can be formed such toslope downwards in a direction moving further away from the movementspace 155. By implementing the lower latching surface 162 as a slope inthis manner, the side protrusion 116 can be readily latched onto thelower latching surface 162.

Referring to FIG. 3, coupling indentations 164 may be formed in thelower part of the rim 154. The coupling indentations 164 may beindentations formed adjacent to the rim end portions 156, and in thecontainer body 150 based on the present embodiment, a pair of couplingindentations 164 may be provided symmetrically on the left and right.The coupling protrusions 134 provided on the locking flap 126 may beinserted into the coupling indentations 164, whereby the locking flap126 may be coupled onto the container body 150, and the cover 110 may becompletely coupled with the container body 150.

Just as the rim end portions 156, the coupling indentations 164 can beformed on all four side surfaces 152 of the container body 150, with onepair formed symmetrically on each side.

The container body 150 may include an upper end portion 166 thatprotrudes upward from the rim 154.

Below, a description is provided of the cover 110 of a storage container100 based on an embodiment of the present invention, with reference toFIG. 6 and FIG. 7.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the cover 110 of the storagecontainer 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a perspective viewillustrating a locking flap 126 of the cover 110 illustrated in FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, a cover 110 based on the presentembodiment may be coupled to the upper part of the container body 150 toseal the opening. The cover 110 may have a shape that corresponds tothat of the container body 150.

The cover 110 may have an upper surface 112 and side surfaces 114. Theupper surface 112 may be the surface that is exposed to the exteriorwhen the cover 110 is coupled to the container body 150 as illustratedin FIG. 1. The upper surface 112 can have a square shape in the same ora similar shape as the horizontal cross section of the container body150. Also, at the edges of the upper surface 112, the side surfaces 114may protrude downward. On the side where the locking flap 126 is formed,the side surface 114 can be omitted or can be formed shorter. This is sothat the rotation and coupling of the locking flap 126 may not beobstructed by the side surface 114.

From among the three side surfaces 114, the two side surfaces 114 thatface each other and are adjacent to the locking flap 126 may have sideprotrusions 116 protruding inward. The side protrusions 116 maycorrespond to parts that are latched onto the lower latching surfaces162 on the rim 154 of the container body 150. Because of thisarrangement, the side surfaces 152 on which the locking flap 126 is notformed can also maintain a certain degree or more of coupling force withrespect to the container body 150.

Aside protrusion 116 may be provided with a side inclined surface 117.The side inclined surface 117 may have a shape and sloped anglecorresponding to the lower latching surface 162 onto which the sideprotrusion 116 is to be latched. Because of the side inclined surface117 implemented thus, the side protrusion 116 can be readily latchedonto the lower latching surface 162.

A packing groove 118 may be formed on the inside of the cover 110. Thepacking groove 118 may be formed over the entire edge of the cover 110and may correspond to a groove formed between a first inner rim 120 andthe side surfaces 114. A packing (see reference numeral 170 of FIG. 14)can be inserted inside the packing groove 118. The packing inserted inthe packing groove 118 may be pressed by the upper end portion 166 ofthe container body 150 when the cover 110 is coupled onto the containerbody 150. Thus, the cover 110 can provide a sealing force with respectto the container body 150.

From among the three side surfaces 114, the side surface 114 oppositethe part where the locking flap 126 is formed may correspond to a rearsurface 122. On the inner side of the rear surface 122, rear protrusions124 can be formed protruding inwardly. When the cover 110 is coupledonto the container body 150, the rear protrusions 124 may be latchedonto the lower part of the rim 154 (see FIG. 9). Thus, even though thereis no locking flap 126 formed on the rear surface 122, a sufficientcoupling force can be provided as the rear protrusions 124 are latchedonto the rim 154.

A rear protrusion 124 can be provided with a rear inclined surface 125.The rear inclined surface 125 may correspond to a flat or a curvedsurface formed in a downwardly inclined manner in the direction of thelocking flap 126. By virtue of the rear inclined surfaces 125, the rearprotrusions 124 can readily enter as they gradually move in thedirection of the rim 154.

The locking flap 126 may have one end rotatably coupled to one side ofthe cover 110. The locking flap 126 serves not only to keep the cover ina coupled state with respect to the container body 150 but also toenable the cover 110 to be readily separated from the container body150.

The locking flap 126 can include a latching protrusion 128 and couplingprotrusions 134 on the inside.

The latching protrusion 128 may correspond to a protrusion thatprotrudes inward from a position adjacent to the connection part betweenthe locking flap 126 and the cover 110. The latching protrusion 128 maybe of a particular length, which can be the same as or slightly shorterthan the distance between the pair of upper latching indentations 158provided on one side surface 152. At the middle of an end part of thelatching protrusion 128, a center indentation 130 may be formed. Becauseof the center indentation 130, protruding portions 131 can be formed onboth end parts of the latching protrusion 128.

In the process of the cover 110 being separated from the container body150, the protruding portions 131 may be inserted in the upper latchingindentations 158 (see FIG. 10). Thus, the rotation of the locking flap126 may push the cover 110 in a sideward direction, causing the sideprotrusions 116 and the rear protrusion 124 to be separated from the rim154. The latching protrusion 128 thus provided with protruding portions131 may serve to convert the rotational force of the locking flap 126into a force for moving the cover 110 in a sideward direction, duringthe process by which the cover 110 is separated from the container body150.

On the inside surface 132 of the locking flap 126, coupling protrusions134 may be provided. The coupling protrusions 134 may be formedsymmetrically on the left and right with a larger width compared to theprotruding portions 131. The coupling protrusions 134 may be insertedinto the coupling indentations 164 formed in the lower part of the rim154. In this way, the locking flap 126 may be coupled to the sidesurface of the container body 150.

Below, a description is provided of how a storage container 100 based onthe present embodiment may be coupled and separated, with reference toFIG. 8 through FIG. 10.

FIG. 8 illustrates a storage container 100 according to an embodiment ofthe present invention before the cover 110 is coupled to the containerbody 150, and FIG. 9 illustrates the arrangement with the cover 110coupled to the container body 150 by a rotation of the locking flap 126.FIG. 10 illustrates a storage container 100 according to an embodimentof the present invention as the cover 110 is being separated from thecontainer body 150. Incidentally, the cover 110 is represented by dottedlines in FIG. 8 through FIG. 10.

Referring to FIG. 8, in order to couple the cover 110 with the containerbody 150, the cover 110 may first be placed over the upper part of thecontainer body 150. Since the container body 150 is square and the fourside surfaces 152 all have the same shape, the cover 110 can be coupledto the container body 150 in any orientation. When the cover 110 isplaced on the upper part of the container body 150, the side protrusions116 provided on the inside of the cover 110 are not caught on the rim154 and can pass through the movement space 155 to be positioned at thesame height or at a slightly lower height than the lower latchingsurfaces 162, as in FIG. 8. Also, the rear protrusion 124 may be in astate before being latched onto the rim 154.

In the state before the cover 110 is coupled with the container body150, the coupling protrusions 134 of the locking flap 126 may not yet beinserted in the coupling indentations 164. When the locking flap 126 isrotated in a clockwise direction, its inside surface 132 may contact therim 154 to arrive at the arrangement shown in FIG. 8.

From the state in FIG. 8, when the locking flap 126 is further rotatedin a clockwise direction, the locking flap 126 may operate as a leverand move the cover 110 in a sideways direction (towards the right inFIG. 8). That is, when the locking flap 126 is further rotated in aclockwise direction from the arrangement of FIG. 8, the part where theinside surface 132 and the rim 154 contact each other may be thefulcrum, the part where force is applied by the user (the lower part onthe outer side of the locking flap) may be the point of effort, and thepart where the locking flap 126 and the cover 110 are connected may bethe point of action. Therefore, in accordance with the principle oflevers where a force on the point of effort causes the point of actionto move about the fulcrum, the part where the cover 110 and the lockingflap 126 are connected (point of action) may be moved in a sidewarddirection (the right direction in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9) by the rotation ofthe locking flap 126, resulting in the arrangement shown in FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 9, the clockwise rotation of the locking flap 126 maycause the coupling protrusions 134 of the locking flap 126 to beinserted in the coupling indentations 164. In this way, the locking flap126 may be completely coupled to the container body 150. Also, due tothe clockwise rotation of the locking flap 126, the side protrusions 116may be latched onto the lower latching surfaces 162, and the rearprotrusion 124 may be latched onto the rim 154, resulting in thearrangement shown in FIG. 9.

As the side protrusions 116 may include side inclined surfaces 117 andthe rear protrusion 124 may include the rear inclined surface 125, thecover 110 can somewhat move downward during the process of the sideprotrusions 116 and the rear protrusion 124 latching onto the rim 154.In this way, due to the downward movement of the cover 110, the packing(not shown) can be compressed, and a sealing force can be provided.

In this way, a storage container 100 based on the present embodiment canprovide coupling forces at all four sides of the cover 110 and containerbody 150 even though there is just one locking flap 126. That is, forthe four side surfaces 152, the coupling forces are provided by thelocking flap 126 at one of the side surfaces, by the rear protrusion 124at the rear surface 122, and by the side protrusions 116 at the two sidesurfaces 114. Thus, a storage container 100 based on the presentembodiment can provide an excellent coupling force and sealing forcedespite having just one locking flap 126.

In order to separate the cover 110 from the container body 150, thelocking flap 126 may be lifted and rotated in a counter-clockwisedirection from the arrangement shown in FIG. 9. This may cause thecoupling protrusions 134 of the locking flap 126 to be separated fromthe coupling indentations 164 and may cause the protruding portions 131of the latching protrusion 128 to be inserted into the upper latchingindentations 158, resulting in the arrangement shown FIG. 8 and FIG. 10.

From the arrangement of FIG. 10 in which the protruding portions 131 ofthe latching protrusion 128 are inserted in the upper latchingindentations 158, when the locking flap 126 is further rotated in acounter-clockwise direction, the cover 110 may move in the leftdirection. This is because, since the latching protrusion 128 isinserted in the upper latching indentations 158, the counter-clockwiserotational force of the locking flap 126 may be converted into a forcethat moves the cover 110 in the left direction. As the cover 110 thusmoves to the left, the latched state of the side protrusions 116 and therear protrusion 124 with respect to the rim 154 may be disengaged. Thus,the cover 110 can be completely separated from the container body 150.

During the process of the cover 110 being separated from the containerbody 150, the compressed packing (not shown) may be elasticallyrestored, as the pressure is removed. This may cause the cover 110 tosomewhat move upward in height when separated from the container body150. By virtue of such elastic restorative force of the packing, theside protrusions 116 and rear protrusion 124 having inclined surfaces117, 125 can be readily disengaged from the state of being latched ontothe rim 154.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a storage container 100according to an embodiment of the present invention with the cover 110and the container body 150 coupled together.

Referring to FIG. 11, on the inside of the side surfaces 114 of thecover 110, a first inner rim 120 and a second inner rim 121 may beformed with a particular gap in-between. The first inner rim 120 and thesecond inner rim 121 may be formed along the all of the side surfaces114 of the cover 110 and may have a particular height. The first innerrim 120 and the second inner rim 121 may have a particular gaptherebetween, and this gap may correspond to the packing groove 118 intowhich the packing 170 may be inserted.

The second inner rim 121, which may be positioned to the inside of thefirst inner rim 120, may be positioned on the inside of the upper endportion 166 of the container body 150 when the cover 110 is coupled withthe container body 150.

The second inner rim 121 may include a front rim 121 c, which may bepositioned adjacent to the locking flap 126, and a rear rim 121 d, whichmay be arranged facing the front rim 121 c and positioned adjacent tothe rear protrusion 124. In FIG. 11, it can be seen that the lower endportions of the front rim 121 c and rear rim 121 d may be positionedhigher than the upper end portion 166 of the container body 150. This isto prevent the front rim 121 c and rear rim 121 d from being caught onthe upper end portion 166 or on the contents (not shown) inside thecontainer body 150 during the process of the cover 110 sliding in thesideways direction. By thus forming the vertical lengths of the frontrim 121 c and rear rim 121 d at a greater height than the upper endportion 166 when the cover 110 is coupled with the container body 150,the cover 110 is able to readily slide in the sideward direction duringcoupling and separating to and from the container body 150.

Of course, when the cover 110 is merely placed on the container body 150and not yet coupled, the lower end parts of the front rim 121 c and rearrim 121 d can be positioned higher than the upper end portion 166.

It is also possible to form the front rim 121 c and rear rim 121 d suchthat their lower end portions are at the same height as the upper endportion 166 when the cover 110 is coupled with the container body 150.Also, although the cover 110 of a storage container 100 based on thepresent embodiment is illustrated as having the front rim 121 c and therear rim 121 d, which correspond to parts of the second inner rim 121,formed higher than the upper end portion 166, it is also possible tohave the entire second inner rim 121 formed higher than the upper endportion 166.

On one side of the second inner rim 121, there may be formed a riminclined portion 121 a. The rim inclined portion 121 a may correspond toan inclined surface or an inclined curved surface that has a slopedangle and is formed adjacent to the side protrusion 116. The slope ofthe rim inclined portion 121 a can be formed to be the same as or lesssteep than the side inclined surface 117 formed on the side protrusion116. This is so that the cover 110 is not hindered by the contents (notshown) when it moves in a sideways direction (the left direction in FIG.8) to be separated from the container body 150.

The side inclined surface 117 can be formed as an inclined flat surfaceor an inclined curved surface having a slope.

FIG. 12 is a magnified view of an air channel 140 and an adjustmentprotrusion 142 provided on the cover 110. FIG. 13 is a magnifiedcross-sectional view of portion A of FIG. 11, illustrating thearrangement with the packing 170 removed, while FIG. 14 is across-sectional view illustrating the arrangement of FIG. 13 with thepacking 170 coupled on.

Referring to FIG. 12 through FIG. 14, in the part of the packing groove118 adjacent to the locking flap 126, there may be formed an air channel140 (shown in dotted lines in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14). The air channel 140may correspond to a groove (no reference numeral) formed in the innersurface of the first inner rim 120 forming the packing groove 118, agroove (no reference numeral) formed in the bottom surface 119 of thepacking groove 118, and a groove (no reference numeral) formed in theouter surface of the second inner rim 121, connected together to form acontinuous groove. Thus, the air channel 140 can have a “C” shapeoverall.

In the parts where the air channel 140 is formed, the first inner rim120, second inner rim 121, and the bottom surface 119 may not contactthe packing 170 but rather may be separated a fine gap. Thus, the airchannel 140 may correspond to a small channel through which air can flowinto and out from the inside of the container body 150 even as thepacking 170 provides a sealing force. Since the air channel 140 isformed in a small width and depth, it may not be blocked by the packing170 inserted in the packing groove 118.

The number and position of the air channel 140 can be changed accordingto the shape and size of the cover 110. For example, if the cover 110 isof a large size, then it would be conceivable to form two or four airchannel 140 facing one another symmetrically with respect to the lockingflap 126.

In the part of the air channel 140 formed in the bottom surface 119, anadjustment protrusion 142 may be formed. The adjustment protrusion 142may correspond to a small protrusion formed over the entire width of theair channel 140. Referring to FIG. 12, it can be seen that theadjustment protrusion 142 may be formed perpendicularly to thelengthwise direction of the air channel 140. Referring to FIG. 13 andFIG. 14, it can be seen that the end part of the adjustment protrusion142 may be rounded. Also, it can be seen that the thickness of theadjustment protrusion 142 may be formed much smaller compared to thewidth of the packing groove 118.

The adjustment protrusion 142 may contact the packing 170. Thus, eventhough a storage container 100 based on the present embodiment includesan air channel 140, air may not flow in and out from inside thecontainer body 150 as the air channel 140 is blocked by the adjustmentprotrusion 142. However, since the width and thickness of the adjustmentprotrusion 142 are very small, air can flow in or out through the airchannel 140 in spite of the adjustment protrusion 142 if the pressureinside the container body 150 is larger than the pressure outside orvice versa.

For example, if the storage container 100 is heated in a microwave ovenwith the cover 110 coupled on, the pressure inside the storage container100 would become greater than the pressure outside. Here, the pressuredifference between the inside and outside of the storage container 100can cause the air channel 140 to be opened at the adjustment protrusion142, which corresponds to the part having the weakest sealing force.That is, since only a small part of the adjustment protrusion 142 is incontact with the packing 170, the packing wall 174 of the packing 170can be contracted by the pressure difference between the inside andoutside of the storage container 100, thereby creating a fine gap (notshown) between the adjustment protrusion 142 and the packing 170. Thisgap can allow the air inside the container body 150 to flow to theexterior through the air channel 140. When the air inside the storagecontainer 100 has been somewhat released to the exterior so that thepressure difference has decreased, then the contracted packing wall 174can restore its original state and again contact the adjustmentprotrusion 142, whereby the air channel 140 can be closed.

If the storage container 100 is cooled in the freezer of a refrigeratorwith the cover 110 coupled on, the air inside the storage container 100would contract due to the cold air of the freezer, and the pressureoutside the storage container 100 would become greater than the pressureinside. Here, the pressure difference between the inside and outside ofthe storage container 100 can cause the air channel 140 to be opened atthe adjustment protrusion 142, which corresponds to the part having theweakest sealing force. That is, the packing wall 174 can contract at thepart contacting the adjustment protrusion 142 due to the pressuredifference between the inside and outside of the storage container 100,thereby creating a fine gap (not shown) between the adjustmentprotrusion 142 and the packing 170. This gap can allow the air outsidethe container body 150 to flow inside through the air channel 140. Whenthe air outside the storage container 100 has somewhat entered so thatthe pressure difference has decreased, then the contracted packing wall174 can restore its original state and again contact the adjustmentprotrusion 142, whereby the air channel 140 can be closed.

The cover 110 may be provided with support protrusions 180 that canprevent the packing 170 from contracting excessively, so that the airchannel 140 can be prevented from becoming completely closed off by anexcessive contraction of the packing 170.

Hollow cavities 172 corresponding to empty spaces may be formed withinthe packing 170, so that the part contacting the adjustment protrusion142 can be contracted with relative ease. That is, since the packingwalls 174 may be formed with the thicknesses reduced by the hollowcavities 172, the packing 170 may more readily be contracted by thepressure difference between the inside and outside of the container body150.

The extent to which the packing wall 174 is contracted at a partcontacting the adjustment protrusion 142 due to the pressure differencebetween the inside and outside of the storage container 100 can varyaccording to the material of the packing 170, the cross-sectional sizeof the packing 170, and the thickness of the packing wall 174, as wellas the size and shape of the hollow cavities 172, the height and widthof the adjustment protrusion 142, the cross-sectional shape of theadjustment protrusion 142, and the like. For example, if the length bywhich the adjustment protrusion 142 protrudes from the bottom surface ofthe air channel 140 were to be increased, then the packing wall 174 bepushed with increased pressure, making it more difficult for the packingwall 174 to contract and consequently making it more difficult to obtaina gap between the packing 170 and the adjustment protrusion 142. Also,if the size of the hollow cavity 172 formed in the packing 170 weresmaller so that the packing wall 174 were thicker, then it would be moredifficult for the packing wall 174 to contract, and it would be moredifficult for the air channel 140 to be opened by the pressuredifference.

The height of the adjustment protrusion 142 can be formed smaller thanthe depth of the air channel 140. Because of this, the adjustmentprotrusion 142 may not protrude out of the air channel 140. When thecover 110 is coupled with the container body 150, the packing 170 can bepressed in the direction of the air channel 140 to be contact with theadjustment protrusion 142.

Of course, it is also possible to form the adjustment protrusion 142with a height greater than the depth of the air channel 140, in whichcase the adjustment protrusion 142 can protrude out of the air channel140, as illustrated in FIG. 13 and FIG. 14. Also, it is possible to formthe height of the adjustment protrusion 142 to be the same as the depthof the air channel 140.

Although the storage container 100 based on the present embodiment hasbeen illustrated as having one air channel 140 and one adjustmentprotrusion 142, the present invention is not limited by the numbers andarrangement positions of the air channel 140 and adjustment protrusion142. A storage container based on another embodiment of the presentinvention can include two or more air channels 140, where each airchannel 140 can be provided with one or two or more adjustmentprotrusions 142.

Below, a description is provided of a storage container 100 based onanother embodiment of the present invention, with reference to FIG. 15through FIG. 17.

FIG. 15 illustrates a portion of the cover of a storage containeraccording to a second disclosed embodiment of the present invention.Incidentally, in FIG. 15, the packing 170 is removed from the packinggroove 228. FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 are cross-sectional views across line AAand line BB of FIG. 15, respectively, illustrating the arrangement withthe packing 170 inserted. Incidentally, in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, thepacking 170 includes hollow cavities 172.

Referring to FIG. 15 through FIG. 17, a storage container based on thesecond disclosed embodiment may be characterized in that the packinggroove 218 is formed by the first inner rim 220 and the second inner rim221 and that, within the packing groove 218, an inner protrusion 242 isformed at a position location adjacent to the part where the lockingflap (not shown) is formed. The inner protrusion 242 can protrude to aparticular height from the bottom surface of the packing groove 218 andcan be formed over the entire width of the packing groove 218. Also, theheight of the inner protrusion 242 can be formed smaller than the depthof the packing groove 218. Each edge of the inner protrusion 242 can berounded, whereby the packing 170 can be placed in tight contact with theupper surface of the inner protrusion 242.

A groove (no reference numeral) corresponding to an air channel may beformed in the inward side surface of the first inner rim 220 and theouter side surface of the second inner rim 221.

As illustrated in FIG. 16, the packing 170 inserted in the packinggroove 218 may protrude out convexly because of the inner protrusion242, and as a result, air channels 250 may be formed at the sides of theinner protrusion 242. Thus, the inner protrusion 242 may be formed inrelieve to raise a part of the packing 170, so that gaps from the bottomsurface of the packing groove 218 may be created, corresponding to airchannels 250.

On both sides of the inner protrusion 242, there may be formedadjustment protrusions 244 having a smaller width and length. Anadjustment protrusion 244 may serve to reduce the area touching thepacking 170 and open the air channel 250, in a manner similar to that ofthe adjustment protrusion 142 in the first disclosed embodiment. Theadjustment protrusions 244 can be formed in a sloping manner, asillustrated in FIG. 17, to be in tight contact with the packing 170. Inthis way, the adjustment protrusions 244 may serve to close off the airchannels 250 formed by the inner protrusion 242.

The width of an adjustment protrusion 244 can be formed smaller than thewidth of the packing groove 218. Also, the length of an adjustmentprotrusion 244 can be formed smaller than the length of the packinggroove 218 and the length of the inner protrusion 242. By thus formingthe adjustment protrusion 244 with a small length and width, the area ofcontact between the adjustment protrusion 244 and the packing 170 can bereduced, so that air may flow into the inside of the storage containeror flow out to the outside when there is a pressure difference betweenthe inside and outside of the storage container.

While the descriptions above are provided for an embodiment of thepresent invention, it should be appreciated by the person havingordinary skill in the relevant field of art that various modificationsand alterations can be made to the present invention without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present invention set forth in thescope of claims below.

1. A storage container comprising: a cover and a container body, whereinthe cover comprises a locking flap on one side thereof, the locking flaphaving a rotatable configuration, the container body comprises a rimprotruding from a side surface thereof, the rim has at least one pair ofrim end portions formed therein, the pair of rim end portions facingeach other, the rim end portion comprises an upper latching indentationand a lower latching surface, the upper latching indentation is open atone side, the cover comprises a side protrusion configured to latch ontothe lower latching surface when coupled onto the container body, and thelocking flap is inserted into the upper latching indentation whenseparated from the container body.
 2. The storage container of claim 1,wherein the rim end portions are arranged as a pair facing each otherwith a movement space of a particular distance therebetween.
 3. Thestorage container of claim 1, wherein the upper latching indentation hasan upper inclined surface formed therein.
 4. A cover for a storagecontainer configured to couple with a container body of the storagecontainer, the cover comprising: a first inner rim and a second innerrim arranged at an inward side of the first inner rim, the first innerrim and the second inner rim arranged with a particular gap in-betweento form a packing groove, wherein the second inner rim comprises a frontrim and a rear rim, the front rim formed at a side where a locking flapis provided, the rear rim arranged opposite the front rim, and the frontrim and/or the rear rim is formed such that a lower end portion thereofis positioned flush with or lower than an upper end portion of thecontainer body when the cover is coupled to the container body.
 5. Acover for a storage container configured to couple with a container bodyof the storage container, the cover comprising: a side protrusion; and afirst inner rim and a second inner rim arranged at an inward side of thefirst inner rim, the first inner rim and the second inner rim arrangedwith a particular gap in-between to form a packing groove, wherein theside protrusion comprises a side inclined surface having a sloped angle,and the second inner rim comprises a rim inclined portion having asloped angle less steep than the side inclined surface.
 6. A cover for astorage container configured to couple with a container body of thestorage container, the cover comprising: a packing; a packing grooveconfigured to receive the packing inserted therein; an air channelformed intagliated in the packing groove to enable an inflow and outflowof air; and an adjustment protrusion formed in the air channel andconfigured to contact the packing, wherein, while the cover and thecontainer body are coupled to maintain a sealed state, a contact betweenthe adjustment protrusion and the packing is temporarily disengaged by apressure difference between an inside and an outside of the storagecontainer such that an inflow or outflow of air is permitted.
 7. Thecover for a storage container according to claim 6, wherein theadjustment protrusion protrudes to an outside of the air channel.
 8. Acover for a storage container configured to couple with a container bodyof the storage container, the cover comprising: a packing; a packinggroove having a bottom surface and configured to receive the packinginserted therein; an inner protrusion formed protruding from the bottomsurface and forming an air channel to enable an inflow and outflow ofair between the bottom surface and the packing; and an adjustmentprotrusion formed on one side of the inner protrusion and configured toclose the air channel by contacting the packing, wherein, while thecover and the container body are coupled to maintain a sealed state, acontact between the adjustment protrusion and the packing is temporarilydisengaged by a pressure difference between an inside and an outside ofthe storage container such that an inflow or outflow of air is permittedthrough the air channel.
 9. The cover for a storage container accordingto claim 6, wherein the packing comprises a hollow cavity.
 10. The coverfor a storage container according to claim 9, wherein the adjustmentprotrusion is formed in a same direction as a lengthwise direction ofthe hollow cavity when the packing is inserted in the packing groove.11. The cover for a storage container according to claim 6, wherein thecover comprises a downwardly protruding support protrusion, the supportprotrusion configured to prevent the air channel from being closed offcompletely by an excessive contraction of the packing.
 12. The cover fora storage container according to claim 7, wherein the packing comprisesa hollow cavity.
 13. The cover for a storage container according toclaim 8, wherein the packing comprises a hollow cavity.
 14. The coverfor a storage container according to claim 12, wherein the adjustmentprotrusion is formed in a same direction as a lengthwise direction ofthe hollow cavity when the packing is inserted in the packing groove.15. The cover for a storage container according to claim 13, wherein theadjustment protrusion is formed in a same direction as a lengthwisedirection of the hollow cavity when the packing is inserted in thepacking groove.
 16. The cover for a storage container according to claim8, wherein the cover comprises a downwardly protruding supportprotrusion, the support protrusion configured to prevent the air channelfrom being closed off completely by an excessive contraction of thepacking.